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Time to Celebrate! ​Did you know that 2019 marks the 25th anniversary of the OIPC providing impartial oversight of our access and privacy laws? Over the last 25 years, our office has been committed to ensuring that you are able to exercise your right to access government information and that your right to privacy is protected. These rights are recognized throughout the world as being essential to democracy! Throughout the year we will be celebrating our silver anniversary by:

​Sharing stories of Nova Scotians who have experienced firsthand how freedom of information laws contribute to a more democratic society.

Publishing duty to assist guidelines for public bodies and municipalities on topics such as communication with applicants, searching for records, calculating and waiving fees, writing decisions and more! See our first guideline: Communication with Applicants.

​Celebrating with all Nova Scotians this summer at an awesome public event! More details to come.

Stay tuned for these exciting updates and more by checking out our 25th Anniversary page or signing up to our mailing list. We can't wait to celebrate with you all!

Data Mining the Deceased: Film & Discussion

On February 3, 2019, in partnership with the Halifax Public Libraries and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, we will be screening the documentary Data Mining the Deceased. Genealogy is one of the largest data mining operations, driven by big religion, big business and big technology. This documentary takes a wry and probing look at individual industry stakes in the phenomenon of family history. Join us at the Halifax Central Library at 2:00 p.m. for the free film screening followed by a discussion of current issues with the film's Director, Julia Creet; Françoise Baylis, University Research Professor, Dalhousie; and Darryl Leroux, Sociologist of Indigenous DNA Claims, Saint Mary's University. Read more...

Nova Scotia Court of Appeal Upholds Commissioner's Decision

In a decision released January 11, 2019, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal determined that a decision by the Information and Privacy Commissioner regarding the scope of her jurisdiction was reasonable. The appeal centered around whether or not the Commissioner has jurisdiction to hear an appeal where the applicant seeks answers to questions rather than access to records. The Commissioner determined that she does not have jurisdiction to hear an appeal where there is no request for access to records at issue.

The Court of Appeal states, "...the Commissioner's interpretation of the applicable provisions of the MGA was reasonable. Indeed, I am satisfied it was the only reasonable interpretation." A copy of the Court of Appeal decision is available here. A copy of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court decision which also upheld the Commissioner's decision is available here.

News Release

For Immediate Release

January 15, 2019

Privacy Commissioner's investigation determines that a serious failure of due diligence led to Freedom of Information Access website privacy breaches

HALIFAX - Information and Privacy Commissioner Catherine Tully issued her investigation report today into a series of privacy breaches that plagued the Freedom of Information Access (FOIA) website in the spring of 2018. The Commissioner determines that the immediate cause of the privacy breaches was a design flaw in the FOIA website. The flaw was created by a well-known and foreseeable vulnerability that was not detected by the Department of Internal Services (Department) prior to launching the FOIA website. Ultimately, the privacy breaches were preventable and were caused by a serious failure of due diligence in the deployment of a new technology tool. Read more...

Three separate applicants sought disclosure of a management fee paid by the Nova Scotia Government to Bay Ferries Limited for the operation of the ferry service between Yarmouth and Portland, Maine. In withholding the information, the Department argued that disclosure of the information would harm both the economic interests of the Department and the competitive position of Bay Ferries Limited. There is a justifiably high democratic expectation of transparency around the expenditure of public money. Expenditure of public funds goes to the heart of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act's purposes and is an important reason behind the need for detailed and convincing evidence. The burden of proof rests with the public body. The Commissioner finds that the evidence offered falls well short of the legal standard. Instead, the evidence offered consisted of conclusionary statements of general assertions of risk. The Commissioner recommends full disclosure of the ferry service funding agreement. Read more...

Response to Review Report 18-05

Review Report 18-05 indicated we would publish the Department's response to the recommendations made by the Commissioner. The response is available here.

Canada's Access to Information and Privacy Guardians Call for Privacy Regulation and Oversight of Political Parties

Regina, SK, September 17, 2018​ - In a joint resolution, Canada's Information and Privacy Ombudspersons and Commissioners have called on governments to pass legislation requiring political parties to comply with globally recognized privacy principles, to provide Canadians with access to the personal information they hold about them, and to provide for independent oversight to verify and enforce privacy compliance. Read more... / Communiqué

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for Nova Scotia has received responses to the recommendations made in investigation reports IR18-01 and IR18-02 from the Department of Health and Wellness and Sobeys National Pharmacy Group. A summary of those responses and copies of the letters received are provided below.

The Information and Privacy Commissioner for Nova Scotia is also known as the Review Officer and is appointed as the independent oversight authority under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the Municipal Government Act, the Personal Health Information Act and the Privacy Review Officer Act.

Please Note: While the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for Nova Scotia is independent of the Province of Nova Scotia the Google Search engine used by our office is hosted by the Province of Nova Scotia.